1980–81 Biathlon World Cup

Below is the World Cup calendar for the 1980–81 season.[1][2][3]

Location	Date	Individual	Sprint	Relay
Jáchymov	15–17 January	●	●	●
Antholz-Anterselva	22–25 January	●	●	●
Ruhpolding	29 January–1 February	●	●	●
Lahti	12–15 February	●	●	●
Hedenäset	2–5 April	●	●	●
Total		5	5	5

*The relays were technically unofficial races as they did not count towards anything in the World Cup.

First World Cup career victory

•  Terje Krokstad (NOR), 24, in his 4th season — the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Jáchymov
•  Kjell Søbak (NOR), 23, in his 3rd season — the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Sodankylä
•  Eirik Kvalfoss (NOR), 21, in his 1st season — the WC 2 Individual in Antholz-Anterselva; it also was his first podium
•  Vladimir Alikin (URS), 23, in his 3rd season — the WC 3 Individual in Ruhpolding; first podium was 1978–79 Individual in Bardufoss
•  Heikki Ikola (FIN), 33, in his 4th season — the World Championships Individual in Lahti; first podium was 1977–78 Sprint in Sodankylä
•  Fritz Fischer (FRG), 24, in his 2nd season — the WC 4 Individual in Hedenäset; it also was his first podium

First World Cup podium

•  Viktor Ciunkel (URS) — no. 2 in the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov
•  Jaromír Šimůnek (TCH), 25, in his 4th season — no. 3 in the WC 1 Individual in Jáchymov; it also was the first podium for an Czechoslovakian biathlete
•  Viktor Avdejev (URS), in his 3rd season — no. 2 in the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov
•  Hans Åhman (SWE), 28, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the WC 1 Sprint in Jáchymov; it also was the first podium for a Swedishbiathlete
•  Toivo Mäkikyrö (FIN), 23, in his 1st season — no. 2 in the WC 2 Individual in Antholz-Anterselva
•  Pjotr Miloradov (URS) — no. 2 in the WC 2 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva
•  Bernd Hellmich (GDR), 22, in his 1st season — no. 3 in the WC 2 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva
•  Peter Angerer (FRG), 21, in his 2nd season — no. 2 in the WC 3 Sprint in Ruhpolding
•  Erkki Antila (FIN), 26, in his 4th season — no. 3 in the World Championships Individual in Lahti
•  Franz Bernreiter (FRG), 27, in his 2nd season — no. 3 in the WC 4 Individual in Hedenäset

Victory in this World Cup (all-time number of victories in parentheses)

•  Frank Ullrich (GDR), 2 (10) first places
•  Eirik Kvalfoss (NOR), 2 (2) first places
•  Anatoly Alyabyev (URS), 1 (2) first place
•  Terje Krokstad (NOR), 1 (1) first place
•  Kjell Søbak (NOR), 1 (1) first place
•  Vladimir Alikin (URS), 1 (1) first place
•  Heikki Ikola (FIN), 1 (1) first place
•  Fritz Fischer (FRG), 1 (1) first place

Following notable biathletes retired after the 1980–81 season:

•  Eberhard Rösch (GDR)
•  Sigleif Johansen (NOR)